Stream photos and music from your PC to your TV with this free feature of FiOS TV's Multi-Room DVR.

Tossing old computers and electronics in the trash is bad for the planet. Techno-Guru Lloyd gives a smarter alternative.

Some helpful e-cycling links:

- Verizon Wireless Hopeline
Feel doubly good, as not only does this program recycle or refurbish your old wireless phones and equipment, it also uses the proceeds to support domestic violence prevention.

- Verizon Battery Recycling Program
Just drop your old cell phone battery off at any Verizon Wireless retail store, and keep all those heavy metals out of the landfill.

- Earth 911
This site has a bunch of informative articles on e-waste and e-cycling.

- How to Recycle Your Computer
Treehugger.com article.

One thing you might not have realized is that besides just the programs you opened, your computer is likely to be running a whole mess of other programs, tasks and utilities on its own. Some of these programs are necessary for your computer to function properly, and should not be messed with. Others might be useless, memory-hogging junk that could be deleted for better performance, using your Windows Task Manager.

Unfortunately, computer files are usually given cryptic names like "drgtodsc.exe" not "HEY, YOU DON'T REALLY NEED THIS." So how can you tell what to delete and what to keep?

Fortunately Kevin Purdy of Lifehacker.com has written an excellent step-by-step article on how to do just that, complete with links to software that will help you decipher what's what, prioritize your programs and kill the bad ones before they crash your whole system.

Just be advised: I'd say it probably takes at least an intermediate level of computer skills to follow Kevin's directions, so if you get flustered by things like email attachments, you may want to have a tech-savvy friend walk you through the process before you go on a delete-spree.

Happy streamlining!]]>Jim 2.0Mar 21, 2008http://2pointhome.com/diys/steps/44452

PAW TTYL :*

If you don't know what that means, chances are your kids do, so maybe you ought to watch this great text messaging primer I found on VideoJug:

Verizon partner isafe.org -- an excellent Internet safety education organization -- has also published a very comprehensive glossary of text message shorthand terms and emoticons, available in a printable format. (PDF)

So study up, parents! Know what your kids are saying, and especially, to whom they're saying it.]]>Jim 2.0Mar 21, 2008http://2pointhome.com/diys/steps/44424

Embed your speakers in the wall or ceiling, to give your home theater that clean, finished look.
]]>Guru BrianMar 21, 2008http://2pointhome.com/diys/steps/44385

You've made the resolution that this is the year you're finally going to learn how to use your computer for something besides an expensive paperweight. You saw the Gurus on My Home 2.0 and decided to come here for some help. Congrats! If you're just starting out with your first computer, or don't use your old one all that much, these beginner tips can help you a lot.

And if you've been using computers for ages now, you can always forward these tips on to those less tech-savvy people in your life...and spend less of your valuable time on the phone yelling things like, "Whaddya mean, you don't know how to clear your cache?!"

]]>Jim 2.0Mar 21, 2008